1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decks, porches and other platforms made of wood or wood substitutes, and more specifically, to a system of keyed posts for strengthening handrail assemblies on decks.
2. Description of Related Art
Decks have continued to rise in popularity in recent years. Some of the decks presently being built, as well as many pre-existing decks, include a deck surface substantially high in elevation relative to the ground. To avoid injury caused to a person who may fall off of the deck surface, handrails are installed around the outer perimeter of the deck. These handrails are usually supported by a number of balusters and corner posts, and in many cases are somewhat unstable due to poor construction and wear and tear (often caused by individuals leaning against them).
The present invention obviates this problem by increasing the strength of handrail connections using a modified mortise and tenon joint. The use of this type of joint has been heretofore unknown in the decking industry. The prior art has generally taught away from the use of mortises in decking because of the theory that this type of joint is more susceptible to decay.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,135,817 issued on Apr. 13, 1915 to Klein et al., discloses a post for office railings and the like wherein the posts have longitudinal bores for receiving rods extending through the floor, or sockets or other footings to clamp the posts to a building floor. The bottom rails are fitted to the post by a mortise and tenon joint and the top rails are clamped to the posts by hardware and also secured by dowels.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,429,084 issued on Sep. 12, 1922 to Loeffler, describes a fence post with a slot in the top to accept a horizontal fence rail. The walls of the slot are not parallel, rather one wall is "obliquely disposed", so that rails may be placed between adjacent posts by inserting one end of the rail obliquely in one slot and adjusting the other end of the rail in the slot of an adjacent post. The post is preferably made of concrete and sunk in the ground. The rail is prevented from slipping out of the slot by nailing a block of wood to the rail adjacent the post.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,866 issued on Jan. 10, 1989 to Garneau discloses a railing structure designed to hide the fasteners used to construct the railing. The posts, balusters, and rails are made from a soft wood, press wood or plastic core with hardwood facing plates glued or adherently attached to the core. Rails are attached to "uprights at the end of a railing" by a screw extending into the core.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.